Türkiye is advancing negotiations with the World Bank regarding a funding for a railway project across the Bosporus Strait, and is planning to hold an auction for its construction in the coming months, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The railway would cross the Yavuz Sultan Selim suspension bridge, one of the longest and widest of its kind in the world, which was built for $3 billion under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to link Istanbul's European and Asian sides. It was the third built to cross the Bosporus after the July 15 Martyrs Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
Türkiye has been promoting the new rail project as part of the Development Road Project, a new freight link planned between Asia and Europe via upgraded rail and road infrastructure through Iraq and Türkiye.
"We can say that we have roughly secured the financing for the approximately 120-kilometer (75-mile) line that will run from Gebze to Sabiha Gökçen, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, Istanbul Airport and finally to Halkalı. We plan to hold its tender in the coming months," Uraloğlu told reporters on Friday.
In October, the minister said Türkiye was close to an agreement with the World Bank to finance the $4 billion railway project. "We are very close to finalization" for as much as $3 billion or 3 billion euros, Uraloğlu told Bloomberg.
Türkiye had held talks with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to finance the project, following a $51 billion pledge by the Gulf country to invest in Türkiye. Uraloğlu previously said the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) could also provide financing.
Among others, Uraloğlu on Friday also discussed Türkiye's railway ambitions, transportation links, metro investments, international collaborations and digital infrastructure.
He reiterated plans to expand Türkiye's current 13,919-kilometer railway network to 17,500 kilometers by 2028 and stressed the long-term goal of 28,500 kilometers. He cited multiple projects, including lines such as Ankara-Izmir, Mersin-Adana-Gaziantep, Yerköy-Kayseri, Halkalı-Kapıkule, Bilecik-Bursa-Osmaneli and Karaman-Ulukışla.
Highlighting efforts to enhance domestic production, Uraloğlu said: "Producing railway vehicles is as significant as building railways. From locomotives to wagons, we produce them ourselves."
He also noted advancements in the national electric train, which reaches speeds of 160 kilometers per hour. "Our new train, capable of traveling at 225 kilometers per hour, will be operational across all high-speed railways. Prototypes will be ready next year, with serial production starting in 2027," he added.
Uraloğlu also shared insights into ongoing transportation discussions with Syria, covering road, rail, aviation, maritime and communication sectors. While road infrastructure in Syria operates below standard, he emphasized the need for improvements, though this was not the top priority.
"When we look at the highways in Syria, there is a functioning system, although it does not meet the desired standards," said the minister.
He noted that approximately 50 kilometers of railway on the Syrian side had been destroyed, adding: “We are working to rebuild the railway and, if possible, connect it all the way to Damascus."
Uraloğlu also announced Türkiye's technical support for rehabilitating Damascus Airport, including installing some key systems and radar.
He emphasized the need to procure and set up additional radar systems, highlighting the desire for these to be domestic. He noted that Türkiye's Aselsan is managing the production, and their teams are actively working in the field.
National flag carrier Turkish Airlines has increased its weekly flights between Istanbul and Damascus to five, from the initial three, according to Uraloğlu.
He also said other airlines, including Pegasus and AJet, have sought permits to fly to Damascus from Sabiha Gökçen and Esenboğa airports.
Uraloğlu highlighted ongoing work on the "super high-speed train," projected to cover the Istanbul-Ankara route at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, reducing travel time to just 80 minutes.
Under the current system, travel between Ankara and Istanbul takes 4 hours and 20 minutes. This is expected to decrease to 3.5 hours after tunnel construction in the northwestern province of Bilecik, the minister said.
The minister also disclosed plans for a new highway connecting Ankara and Istanbul, as he highlighted the cost-effectiveness of the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, which Türkiye has used to build most of its megaprojects.
It is a mechanism in which a government entity grants to a private sector party the right to finance, design, construct, own and operate a project for a specified number of years.
Uraloğlu mentioned that the government has implemented around 70 projects using this model.
"We made an investment of approximately $51 billion. At the exchange rates of the year they were implemented, this amounted to about $51 billion. If we were to do it today, it would be $83 billion," the minister noted.
He noted that they plan to continue undertaking projects through the BOT model and said some three to four companies from countries worldwide have shown interest in the super high-speed train project between Ankara and Istanbul.
Focusing on urban rail systems, Uraloğlu emphasized the need for 1,004 kilometers of metro lines in Istanbul to address traffic congestion.
Surface solutions are not viable for Istanbul's traffic and the answer lies in rail systems, said the minister.
The construction of metro lines within a city falls under the responsibility of the relevant municipalities, but Uraloğlu said the ministry could undertake it with the approval of the president.
Turning to digital policies, Uraloğlu criticized Google's algorithm updates, citing concerns about their impact.
"Google claimed these changes don't target or benefit anyone, but we are not entirely convinced. Although our ministry is not directly responsible, we are closely monitoring the situation," he said.
The Transport and Infrastructure Ministry will collaborate with the Culture and Tourism Ministry on potential legal regulations, said the minister.
Uraloğlu also shared progress on social media regulations, with plans to introduce age restrictions.
A consensus was reached to require parental consent for users aged 13-16 and to prohibit access for children under 13.
"We've prepared the road map and are finalizing the text for parliamentary approval," Uraloğlu said.
Discussing technological advancements, Uraloğlu conveyed plans to finalize the 5G auction in the first half of this year, with full implementation targeted for 2026.
"We've initiated 5G trials at 34 production sites, including Istanbul Airport, major stadiums, and parliament buildings," he noted.
